Ride the Wave – Dealing With Cravings

Cravings are a major challenge in the effort to reduce body fat and lose weight. Whether it’s ice cream, potato chips or chocolate, certain foods tend to haunt us. Giving in to them is clearly counterproductive, and trying to ignore them may drive you to distraction. But, instead of trying to push them out of your mind or just giving in to them, try riding the wave of cravings.

There are a few typical ways to deal with a craving:

Ignore it and try to fight his way through it with sheer willpower.

Give in to the craving.

Acknowledge the craving, be okay with having the craving, and let it pass.

The first two are probably most common. If you’ve ever tried to ignore a craving, you probably know that it makes it worse. Trying to push it out of your thoughts makes it just about all you can think about! Giving in not only means eating something you don’t really want to eat, but feeling guilty about it too. Acknowledging cravings and being okay with them is the best way to successfully negotiate them.

Cravings ebb and flow, but they don’t get progressively worse until they force you to cave in to them. So, acknowledging and mindfully dealing with them is the crux of “riding the wave.” When a craving hits, take a deep breath and recognize that you’re having the craving. Then, let it take its course while remembering that it will gradually subside. It will take some practice and focus, but you can overcome cravings and keep them from derailing you.

Michael Bento is an Advanced Trainer at the Clubs at Charles River Park. He holds a Masters degree in Human Movement and is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Corrective Exercise Specialist and Performance Enhancement Specialist.